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William Essig
OVERVIEW

William V. Essig

Partner

Chicago

One N. Wacker Drive
Suite 4400
Chicago, IL 60606-2833

P 312-214-5617

F 312-759-5646

Bill Essig is an experienced trial lawyer and litigator focused on defending pharmaceutical and medical device and consumer product companies in product liability and mass tort litigation in state and federal courts. Bill also has expertise in developing, preparing and presenting expert and company witnesses regarding medical and scientific issues.

OVERVIEW

Bill Essig is an experienced trial lawyer and litigator focused on defending pharmaceutical and medical device and consumer product companies in product liability and mass tort litigation in state and federal courts. Bill also has expertise in developing, preparing and presenting expert and company witnesses regarding medical and scientific issues.

Bill has been a member of effective trial teams in federal multi-district litigation (MDL) and state court litigations in defense of pharmaceutical companies, including defending a prescription antipsychotic medication in numerous product liability trials. He also served as a member of teams defending a prescription fluoroquinolone medication in more than 1,500 cases in an MDL litigation and more than 2,000 cases in state courts.

Bill also has considerable experience defending various individual product liability and wrongful death cases involving prescription and over-the-counter medications, surgical staplers and clip appliers, orthopedic and spinal implants, surgical mesh, contact lenses, vaccines, tampons, and other products. Bill has successfully defended consumer fraud and other consumer class action litigation. Bill is also experienced in achieving successful resolutions for his clients in mediation and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. 

Prior to joining the firm, Bill spent nearly two decades at an AmLaw 100 firm practicing in drug and medical device product liability litigation. He was a team leader for their drug and medical device product liability team and was a member of that firm’s compensation committee.

Bill has been admitted as pro hac vice counsel in state and federal jurisdictions across the country and has served as an adjunct professor in complex litigation at the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. He also has had an active pro bono practice over the years, particularly representing clients referred by Ascend Justice in Illinois.

Professional and Community Involvement

Member, Trial Attorneys of America

Member and speaker, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC)

Board of directors member, Public Interest Law Initiative (PILI)

Adjunct Professor, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, 1998-2008

Class agent and alumni interviewer, Yale University

Honors

Martindale-Hubbell AV-Preeminent

EXPERIENCE
Experience

Trials

  • Defended prescription antipsychotic medication in state and federal courts and served as  co-trial counsel for defense verdict in failure-to-warn case in the mass tort program in the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Defended prescription fluoroquinolone medication in a federal MDL.  Three defense verdicts as a trial team member.
  • Defended enteral nutrition products salesman for major pharmaceutical company in federal Medicare anti-kickback criminal trial in Southern District of Illinois.  Prepared successful motion for judgment of acquittal that was granted at the conclusion of the government’s case.

Drug and Medical Device Litigation

  • Served as national coordinating counsel team member for latex glove allergy MDL and in more than 30 state courts. Team obtained defense verdicts in the client’s only two cases tried to verdict. Involved in all phases of litigation including expert witness preparation and deposing prescribing and treating physicians.
  • Coordinated members of a multiple law firm team for the preparation and presentation at deposition and trial of multiple pharmaceutical sales representatives in a products liability MDL.
  • Served as national counsel team member defending gadolinium-based contrast agents used in magnetic resonance imaging in products liability MDL and state cases.
  • Prepared and defended expert witnesses for deposition and trial for a products liability litigation involving allegations of birth defects from in utero exposure to a prescription anticonvulsant medication in the mass tort program of the Court of Common Pleas in Philadelphia. 

Consumer Fraud Class Action Defense

  • Defended over-the-counter pharmaceutical and personal care products companies from putative consumer fraud class actions related to product efficacy and safety, as well as labeling and advertising.

Toxic Tort and Other Litigation

  • Defended product manufacturers and premises liability defendants in asbestos, benzene and other toxic tort litigation.
  • Defended Big Ten university in highly publicized wrongful death case brought by Johnnie Cochran on behalf of the family of a football player who died during pre-season conditioning drills.
  • Represented former pharmaceutical marketing professionals in grand jury investigations, as well as represented corporate officers and employees in SEC investigations and enforcement proceedings.
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